The "Left Behind" book series promoted the controversial biblical theory of the Rapture. The premise is that on a day of God's choosing, all true believers will suddenly vanish from the Earth. They will be transported instantly to heaven and leave behind everyone who did not qualify for the mass exodus.

There was a hole in the sleeve of Adam Brody's threadbare T-shirt. His eyes were still puffy from sleep, even though it was nearly noon. He looked as though he had rolled out of bed just moments before leaving his home in Encino and driving down to Jan'...

A deal to sell the Balboa Bay Club and Newport Beach Country Club to a wealthy Hong Kong businessman has collapsed.
The $174.5-million deal for the combination yacht club and hotel and its sister Newport Beach Country Club was called off Jan. 13....

What do you do when it turns out a wealthy investor can't actually come up with $174.5 million as promised?
If you're Beverly Ray Parkhurst, who owns the landmark Balboa Bay Club and Resort in Newport Beach, you call off your planned sale of the...

Once again, Meryl Streep gives an Oscar-worthy performance in a big role on the big screen.
Her acting credentials are on vivid display as she virtually channels the core persona of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She delivers a brilliant...

The Pixar studio is the gold standard for generation jumping animated films."Toy Story,""Finding Nemo" and"Wall-E" were ground breaking blockbusters. The win streak clearly continues with their rousing fairy tale adventure"Brave."
This time they add a dose of Disney philosophy to the Pixar formula. The spirited heroine is Merida, a spunky and self reliant girl with flaming red hair. She is a princess of course, as Disney requires in such stories.
Her father rules a kingdom in the beautiful Scottish...

A major spiritual milestone is coming up this month. We can call it the year 20 A.P.
That A.P. stands for "After Phil" — or Phil Connors, the protagonist of the Bill Murray comedy "Groundhog Day." How many other movies starring "Saturday Night Live" alums go on to factor into religious teachings? Probably none. But that Murray classic, which came out 20 Groundhog Days ago, seems to have carved out a niche all its own.
Do I need to summarize the movie's plot? Even those who haven't seen it must...

Nicolas Cage became famous for his distinctive work in offbeat movies like "Raising Arizona," "Red Rock West" and "Leaving Las Vegas."
But for many years now, Cage has been earning big paychecks doing a Bruce Willis imitation in several action thrillers of mixed quality. His new release, "Drive Angry," seems to be the latest effort by Cage to make the worst B-movie of his career.
Over-the-top acting is just the first flaw in this nasty potboiler. Cage plays John Milton, a former low-life who starts...

"Inception" is an amazing experience — a challenge for both brain and eye, as images fold upon each other like origami and defy gravity, time and space.
Dom (Leonardo DiCaprio) developed a method to extract secrets from people's minds by entering their dreams. He and his team (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy) are highly sought-after for corporate espionage. A client (Ken Watanabe) hires them for a unique assignment: to plant an idea in a competitor's mind that will become reality, or an...